furnishings
This Small Maple Desk Top Case
This small case This highly figured burly broad leaf maple was from a log that had been laying under four feet of mud for four years where it was rediscovered and chainsaw milled into slabs. Robert Van Norman aquired the slab four years prior to my selecting this wood for my final project...
This is my final project in completion of the Craftsman Program at The Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking...
This is my final project in completion of the Craftsman Program at The Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking...
Photo's of the Final Project were done by Ingeborg Susan Hardman ,,, www.isphotography.com
Heart, Hand and Eye,,, Inside Passage
Krenovian Box
This maple box was a required project at IP and a real personal challenge,,, Hand cutting the dovetails can be humbling in itself, yet to do a slight curve in each is a bit daunting to say the least... SHWUNG! I think is how that is spelled. This exercise had so many first time experiences. Each step in the development offered huge risks to blow it. All of us were required to do THIS BOX, our only choices were to add a lock or not, to include a tray or not and a selection of species of woods,,, My choice was the only one in Maple. The box was made from one chuck of wood.
The box was part of our wedding where I presented it to my bride containing our rings ,,, surprise,,, It worked out well,,, Thankfully
The box was part of our wedding where I presented it to my bride containing our rings ,,, surprise,,, It worked out well,,, Thankfully
Spalted Hex
A small hexigon box from a small piece of alder
A Birds Eye Eastern Maple Jewel Case
A gift to his daughter
This little jewelry case was a special commission.
The client ordered the Birds Eye Maple and Ebony from back east from an old friend of his, who was a lumber broker. "Send me the best you have!"
I was THRILLED by the package. This wood is some of the finest instrument quality I have ever seen.
I was to design a case that would be presented to the daughter for her birthday.
To say I was a little nervous making the cuts was a huge understatement.
The wood was so full of eyes. They were spaced 1/4 inch apart evenly. The pattern was amazing. The challenge of working birds eye maple is daunting at the best of times. To get to the final finish without popping one of those eyes is nerve wracking. The lamination of the door panel turned out seamless, in joinery and colour. The first case was a disaster! Though that turned out to be a blessing. I took it all apart and changed the wood to RED maple, that was a good decision as it gave a highlight to the spectacular Birdseye.
The soft contrast in colour and textural effect worked very well together.
The little box at the bottom is the travel case, a design feature I slid in there as smoothly as the box goes into the case. Instead of a drawer I decided on the box. His daughter was a traveler so I thought she may be able to use it for this purpose.
The client ordered the Birds Eye Maple and Ebony from back east from an old friend of his, who was a lumber broker. "Send me the best you have!"
I was THRILLED by the package. This wood is some of the finest instrument quality I have ever seen.
I was to design a case that would be presented to the daughter for her birthday.
To say I was a little nervous making the cuts was a huge understatement.
The wood was so full of eyes. They were spaced 1/4 inch apart evenly. The pattern was amazing. The challenge of working birds eye maple is daunting at the best of times. To get to the final finish without popping one of those eyes is nerve wracking. The lamination of the door panel turned out seamless, in joinery and colour. The first case was a disaster! Though that turned out to be a blessing. I took it all apart and changed the wood to RED maple, that was a good decision as it gave a highlight to the spectacular Birdseye.
The soft contrast in colour and textural effect worked very well together.
The little box at the bottom is the travel case, a design feature I slid in there as smoothly as the box goes into the case. Instead of a drawer I decided on the box. His daughter was a traveler so I thought she may be able to use it for this purpose.
The other features of the case were the hand cut, half dovetails drawer faces, the little carousel to hang the chains, this slides in or out of the top of the case with a little "T" slot made to blend into the top trim face of the Ebony. The small recess on the edge of the case frame I carved rather than make a pull for the door. That I thought would detract from the framing of the perfect panel of birds eye.
The back panel was also Birdseye panels divided and the internal frame, Birdseye.
Hardware was brass and the lock box was exposed to the inside of the case. With the key access through a small hole in the side. Scissor hinges for the door.
Ebony was used for a contrast to the maple and to create a decisive optical effect of breaking all this busy pattern into little features.
The back panel was also Birdseye panels divided and the internal frame, Birdseye.
Hardware was brass and the lock box was exposed to the inside of the case. With the key access through a small hole in the side. Scissor hinges for the door.
Ebony was used for a contrast to the maple and to create a decisive optical effect of breaking all this busy pattern into little features.
